In general, an air conditioner is provided with a refrigerating cycle constituted with a compressor, a condenser, a capillary tube, a heat exchanger, etc., and properly supplies cool air generated from an evaporator and warm air generated from the condenser indoors according to the indoor condition, thereby maintaining the indoor circumstance comfortably.
The air conditioner is divided into a window type air conditioner and a separated type air conditioner according to an installation method. The window type air conditioner is installed at the window, etc. under the state that an outdoor unit and an indoor unit are integrally assembled in one case, and the separate type air conditioner is respectively installed at the outdoor side and the indoor side under the state that the outdoor unit and the indoor unit are separated from each other.
FIG. 1 is a disassembled perspective view showing a window type air conditioner in accordance with the conventional art, and FIG. 2 is an engagement sectional view showing the window type air conditioner in accordance with the conventional art.
The conventional window type air conditioner comprises: a case 102 of which one side is positioned at the outdoor side and another side is positioned at the indoor side;
an outdoor unit 104 installed at the outdoor side of the case 102 and heat-exchanged with outdoor air; and an indoor unit 106 installed at the indoor side of the case 102 and heat-exchanged with indoor air.
The case 102 is installed at the wall that divides the outdoor side and the indoor side, and one side of the case 102 is positioned at the outdoor side and another side thereof is positioned at the indoor side. An outdoor air suction port 108 for sucking outdoor air is formed at both lateral surfaces of the case 102 positioned at the outdoor side. Also, an outdoor air discharge port 110 for discharging the air heat-exchanged while passing through the outdoor unit 104 outdoors is formed at the rear surface of the case 108. At the front surface of the case 108 positioned at the indoor side, an indoor air suction port 112 for sucking the indoor air and an indoor air discharge port 114 for discharging the air heat-exchanged while passing through the indoor unit 106 indoors are respectively formed.
The outdoor unit 104 is composed of: an outdoor heat exchanger 120 installed inside the case 102 positioned at the outdoor side and connected to a compressor 116 by a refrigerant pipe 124 thus to be heat-exchanged with the outdoor air; and an axial fan 122 opposite to the outdoor heat exchanger 120 for generating a blowing force to suck the outdoor air and thus to discharge it to the outdoor heat exchanger 120.
The case 102 positioned at the outdoor side is provided with a shroud 126 where the axial fan 122 and the outdoor heat exchanger 120 are mounted. The shroud 126 is provided with an orifice 128 for guiding air to the axial fan 122 for a smooth suction.
As shown in FIG. 3, the indoor unit 106 is composed of: an indoor heat exchanger 130 installed inside the case 102 positioned at the indoor side and connected to the compressor 116 by the refrigerant pipe 124 thus to be heat-exchanged with the indoor air; and a centrifugal fan 132 opposite to the indoor heat exchanger 130 for generating a blowing force to suck the indoor air and thus to discharge it to the indoor heat exchanger 130.
An orifice 134 for guiding the air that has passed through the indoor heat exchanger 130 to the centrifugal fan 132 is formed between the indoor heat exchanger 130 and the centrifugal fan 132. An air guide 136 for guiding the air that has passed through the centrifugal fan 132 to the indoor air discharge port 114 is installed at the upper side of the centrifugal fan 132. Also, an air guide passage 162 for passing the indoor air by an air guide panel 160 is installed at the upper side of the centrifugal fan 132.
A division plate 150 for dividing the outdoor unit 104 and the indoor unit 106 is installed inside the case 102, and a driving motor 152 for driving the centrifugal fan 132 and the axial fan 122 is mounted at the division plate 150.
Operation of the window type air conditioner in accordance with the conventional art will be explained in more detail. When a power source is applied to the air conditioner, the compressor 116 and the driving motor 152 are driven thus to heat-exchange the outdoor air at the outdoor unit 104 and to heat-exchange the indoor air at the indoor unit 106.
More specifically, when the axial fan 122 is driven, the outdoor air is sucked through the outdoor air suction port 108 thus to be heat-exchanged while passing through the outdoor heat exchanger 120. Then, the outdoor air is discharged outdoors through the outdoor air discharge port 110.
When the centrifugal fan 132 is driven, the indoor air is sucked through the indoor air suction port 112 thus to be cooled while passing through the indoor heat exchanger 130. Then, the indoor air is discharged indoors through the indoor air discharge port 114.
Herein, the indoor air is discharged along the arrow direction, S as the centrifugal fan 132 is driven, and then is curved as much as 90°. Then, the indoor air is guided to the air guide passage 162 thus to be discharged along the arrow direction, T through the indoor air discharge port 114 formed at the front surface of the case 102.
However, in the conventional window type air conditioner, since the indoor air discharge port 114 and the indoor air suction port 112 are respectively provided at the upper and lower sides of the front surface of the case 102, air sucked from the indoor side and air discharged to the indoor side collide with each other at the front side of the case 102 and generate a flow resistance. According to this, flow noise is generated and an efficiency of the heat exchanger is lowered as the cool air discharged to the indoor air discharge port 114 is sucked into the indoor air suction port 112.
Also, since the air guide passage 162 for passing the indoor air is formed with an angle of 90°, a vortex is generated at a portion curved as 90° and a flow resistance is generated. According to this, a discharge amount of air is decreased and flow noise is generated.
Additionally, since the indoor air suction port 112 and the indoor air discharge port 114 are respectively formed at the front surface of the case 102, a suction area M that the indoor air is sucked and a discharge area L that the indoor air is discharged have to be obtained. According to this, the height H1 of the case 102 has to be maintained as a proper level and thereby the entire height of the air conditioner is increased.